EastEnders newcomer Jenna Russell, who has taken over the role of Michelle Fowler, believes viewers are struggling to sympathise with a character who was once "much-loved".
The actress joined the BBC show at the end of last year, stepping into Susan Tully's footsteps, who previously played the Walford favourite for 10 years until 1995.
Russell says that her current storyline is making it hard for the audience to sympathise with Michelle, as she has been having an affair with her teenage former student Preston (Martin Anzor), who was also in a relationship with her niece, Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield).
"It's interesting, she's not a new character, she's a much-loved character from the past. I think it's hard for Michelle to get the audience's sympathy at this point," she told the Press Association.
"I realised once I'd joined the cast officially, my first big storyline is not something you necessarily side with her on."
However, Russell hopes that audiences might change their mind about her character in the future.
"Ultimately, Michelle can't get any lower, so hopefully we can build her up and get to know her a bit out of crisis mode and know her as a woman, as the woman she is now, 20 years on from when we last saw her," she added.
In an episode that aired last week, viewers saw Michelle crash her car into the fish and chip shop, but EastEnders fans took to Twitter to share their upset that dementia sufferer Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe) was killed off in a separate incident, rather than Michelle.
In tonight's episode of the soap, Michelle is furious when she finds out Preston has returned to his home in America after Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) told him that Michelle did not really love him.
Russell said: "Michelle is a proud woman and she feels that it's none of Sharon's business and that she shouldn't have handled it the way she did.
Strong words Sharon. #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/UQaqboXycr
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) March 31, 2017
"Again, Michelle isn't taking responsibility by saying she was wrong. She should say straight up, 'Thank you, because I've been trying to make him leave for weeks'.
"Instead, she says it wasn't Sharon's job, that she was getting round to it and it wasn't down to her.
How will Michelle react when Sharon tells her about Preston? #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/1zOFBc5uSL
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) March 31, 2017
"The only person who has stood by her through this situation is Sharon and she's come back and handled it brilliantly.
"Sharon is the only person who knows the absolute truth: Michelle is too ashamed and embarrassed right now to apologise to the people she's hurt."
EastEnders airs weeknights (except Wednesdays) on BBC One and RTÉ One
